Newfoundland and Labrador releases shelter standards, critics question enforcement
ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Newfoundland and Labrador published a list of standards on Thursday that public and private emergency homeless shelters must follow, after conditions in for-profit shelters became a central issue in the province's struggles with homelessness.
The report on shelter standards was completed by Ontario-based firm, OrgCode Consulting. It covers details ranging from required mattress sizes to the number of staff who should be employed by shelter operators.
Tracy Flaherty-Willmott, OrgCode's associate director, said she visited some of the low-barrier emergency shelters run by private landlords in the province. "I think, like all facilities, it ranges from amazing to, OK, there's opportunities for enhancement," she said to reporters in St. John's, N.L., about her visits.
The province's public and private "hybrid shelter system," Flaherty-Willmott said, is "a bit of a challenge." But no matter who the shelter operator is, unhoused people need on-site support, she added.
Except Ontario, which did not provide clear information to The Canadian Press, Newfoundland and Labrador is the only province that pays private landlords to provide emergency shelter to homeless people. The landlords charge the province a set nightly fee, per guest, to host them in their apartments, homes or other facilities.
In 2023, the province paid these landlords more than $2.7 million. The money went to three operators, who run a total of seven shelters, with a collective capacity of 79 beds, said a spokesperson for the province's housing corporation.
A list of complaints about private shelters from Nov. 1, 2023, to April 1 of this year, released through access to information legislation, included comments from some residents who said they weren't being fed enough, and others who described feeling unsafe, witnessing violence and drug use, and staying in unsanitary conditions.
Two homeless encampments sprang up last year in St. John's, where many residents said they felt safer in tents than in for-profit shelters.
More than 400 people across the province need a place to stay each night, Housing Minister Fred Hutton told reporters on Thursday.
OrgCode's report said shelter operators must provide three complete meals a day, at set times. Extra food must be provided if someone misses a meal time for valid reasons. Operators must provide basic bed linens and personal hygiene products, including soap, deodorant and shampoo, the report said.
Shelters with up to 50 guests must have a minimum of two staff on duty at all hours of operation. Each additional 30 guests requires an additional staff person. Those employees must have training in practices such as naloxone administration, safe food handling, and de-escalation, the report said.
Staff must work with guests every day for the first four weeks of their stay at the shelter to help them find a permanent place to live. After four weeks, the guest will be referred for "dedicated re-housing supports," the document said.
Officials will inspect shelters once every four months to ensure they comply with the new standards.
In a news release, provincial New Democrat Party Leader Jim Dinn said he was pleased the standards were finally released, noting that they were expected in early June.
"However, I have questions concerning how far these standards actually reach, and how they will be enforced," Dinn said.
Hutton said his department will "work closely" with shelter operators to ensure they follow the rules.
"Now there is clarity, there's clarity in what they have to do," he said. If operators don't comply, their shelters won't be used, he added.
Hutton wouldn't commit to a timeline for the standards to be implemented, saying he had only just received the report. He also acknowledged the cost to implement them will be significant.
"Obviously the provincial government is going to step up because it's an investment in people," he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 11, 2024.
Sarah Smellie, The Canadian Press
